Fassi adds more strings to his bow
SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt believes Aphelele Fassi has become a more balanced player in 2020.
The 22-year-old fullback scored two tries in his team’s outstanding 42-20 victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin last weekend. He was a constant threat when he ran with the ball and his defensive game from the back was on point.
His decision-making has also seemed to improve since last season and Everitt believes this has made Fassi an even more dangerous player on the field.
“I think Aphelele has brought a balance to his game this year,” said Everitt.
“He is developing his kicking game as well where last year he was mainly running the ball back, so that had given us other options and it has made him a little bit more unpredictable.”
Another young player making his mark in the Sharks team is loose forward James Venter. He was one of the star performers in Dunedin with his aggression at the breakdown and in the tackle.
“James has been outstanding with the way he has played, and it is not easy to play like that for 80 minutes.
“He has really disrupted the breakdown. When he not stealing the ball, he is making tackles and he is doing a lot of carrying work.
“The try that he scored was an example of what he did for the Lions in the Currie Cup last year,” Everitt added.
The Sharks face the Hurricanes in Wellington in Round Two and Everitt will be hoping the weather conditions allow his players to emulate last weekend’s display.
“It looks like it is going to be a good day [on Saturday]. But I have been here before and the weather changes in a matter of hours. If the weather remains the same hopefully we can unleash our backs again,” he said.
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